Hello Everyone,

I have a 1973 RT3. It doesn't get ridden very often. I had it on 2 good rides last year. I love the thing. It might be my favorite motorcycle.

My car got stolen last night with a lot of my tools in it. I decided **** it, I am going to forget everything and ride the RT3 around. A little motorcycle brain therapy if you will.

The thing started right up. It is a good running bike. The carbs are set right. Its the original seat. Its are real pleasure to ride.  Today there was gas pissing out of the vent on the left side. The round plastic thing that sticks up near the right side case cover. I don't have the bandwidth today to tear things apart blindly. The bottom end might have filled up with fuel. I am not sure.

Can anyone tell me why gas would be pouring out of the plastic thing on the left side of the case?

Thank you for your help,

Bill

My guess is it was running and today it's not?

Possibly the petcock got left on or is not shutting off correctly?  Original float valve will not stop the fuel if petcock left on and crankcase will often fill with fuel overnight.

Anyway, if I'm looking at the vent you're talking about in your picture, that's the ignition cover vent. For fuel to come out of there, the ignition must be swimming in fuel, you'll need to pull the cover.  Sooner rather than later if you can.  Gasoline, especially ethanol blend, might damage the insulation if left soaking too long.

Also the crank seal is either bad or it may have been pushed out of the case if you tried to kick it over with the bottom end full of fuel. 

Might get lucky just removing the side bowl main jet & flushing some fuel through. Give a good tap on the side near the area of the float valve with a plastic screwdriver handle & might come right. Then [ignition off] push around the yard with plug out & if nothing sprays out then you should be good to go [he said hopefully]. Hope you get your car back with tools still in it so you can pull your carb off if still flooding. Just check the overflow tube from the bowl base is open & not blocked off or pinched somewhere as should overflow out there before the high up vent. but 'if' it's pouring in flat out it's probably more than one vent/overflow can handle.

From the description and photo, I was thinking it's the vent I've circled?

If it's the carb overflow, that's completely something else.

 

Oh, Umm, that's a worry if its that. Says right side case cover but its the left side although facing it i guess its the right hand end of left cover. If the mags full of fuel then stand back she could blow.
I'll still guess high up vent on carb body.

There's some contradiction in the post...  it does say right side, then later says left side...  when I saw pic on left side with ignition vent there I guessed that was the place the gas was coming from?

Could be the carb vent was being talked about, hard to say.

If the floats stick bounce the rear tire. The original post is not well received.

dual carbs
origInal seat
mako you need more bandwidth.

a

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the help. I was a little bit out of my mind yesterday because of the car theft Sunday night. The police recovered what was left of it. Don't ever think about moving to Denver.. (see attached pics).

About the bike. I meant to say LEFT side stator cover vent is pissing fuel. I am not sure if the carb vent was leaking or not. I had to shut the bike down in a hurry because gas was pouring out of the left side stator cover vent. The bike started up first kick and was running great with the stator filled with fuel. LOL.

I drained the transmission oil and it was all oil, no gas. I removed the stator cover and the stator was filled with gas. The bike was sitting for 6 months. The left side cover could have filled with gas over the winter from a leaking petcock or filled up from a stuck float valve. I haven't checked the fuel petcock or the float valve yet. I know one of them or both is letting gas through.

Could the left side crank seal let gas through to the stator?

Wow, sorry to see what deviants do…
Sneezles61

Blimey, feel for you!! i guess your tools were gone. I hope you were fully insured [or is it compulsory to be in the US].
Have you taken the mag cover off & let it dry out in there. I'm thinking if it was full then must be full in the crankcase as well, or full up to the crankshaft level at least.
If that was the case there's theoretically be a hell of an explosion in the mag cover on the first kick. & for that matter it'd hydraulic in the cylinder if crankcase was full.
Always something new going on with old yamaha's.
Almost like the carb vent had been connected to the mag vent & overflowed from carb straight into the cover. Or carb had overflowed onto the case below it & found its way in through the mag loom grommet.
I [did think] there was a small notch in the cover at the bottom for events like this, but searched pics & doesn't look like it.